DEVICE FOR LOCATING ONE OR MORE MOBILE ELEMENTS IN A PREDETERMINED ZONE, AND METHOD IMPLEMENTED IN SUCH A DEVICE

• US 20160195410A1
• Filed: 08/06/2014
• Published: 07/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Institut de Myologie, ValoTec Co.
• Original Assignee: Institut de Myologie, ValoTec Co.
• Inventors: LOURME, Jean-Christophe, Tendon, Gary, Hogrel, Jean-Yves
• Granted Patent: US 9,921,083 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/00 Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of electric or magnetic techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/14 for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures G01B7/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/30 for measuring angles or tapers; for testing the alignment of axes
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/2013 by a movable ferromagnetic element, e.g. a core G01D5/2033 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/02 Measuring direction or magnitude of magnetic fields or magnetic flux G01R33/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/751 wherein the responder or reflector radiates a coded signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/758 using a signal generator powered by the interrogation signal
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means

Abstract

A method is provided for locating at least one mobile element in a predetermined zone, including:

• • supplying power to an on-board module in the element, this module having an electronic circuit and at least one on-board coil;
  • generating a locating signal by the electronic circuit and transmission of this locating signal via the coil;
  • picking up the locating signal by receiver coils on a support near the predetermined zone; each receiver coil picking up the signal when the mobile element is near;
  • determining the location of the mobile element in the zone by detecting a signal level addressed in rows and columns in the form of an array by a processing unit; and the electronic circuit and the on-board coil include an RLC circuit that oscillates, generating the locating signal by sudden interruption of the current through the on-board coil.

Claims

1. A method for locating at least one mobile element in a predetermined zone, this method comprising the following steps:

supplying power to at least one on-board module in the mobile element, this on-board module comprising an electronic circuit and at least one on-board coil;

generating a locating signal by the electronic circuit and transmission of this locating signal via the on-board coil;

picking up the locating signal by means of receiver coils distributed on a support in proximity to the predetermined zone;

each receiver coil having the function of picking up said locating signal when the mobile element is in proximity;

determining the location of the mobile element in the predetermined zone by detecting, a signal level on said support which is addressed in rows and columns in the form of an array by means of a processing unit connected to this support; and

the electronic circuit and the on-board coil constitute an RLC circuit that oscillates, generating the locating signal by sudden interruption of the current through the on-board coil.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that power supply is carried out periodically;

in the supply phase, energy is stored in each on-board module for later use in the non-supply phase.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the generation of a locating signal is carried out at a different time for each on-board module so as to carry out multiplexing with time-distributed multiple access (TDMA) in order to distinguish the on-board modules from one another.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the generation of a locating signal is carried out by generating a signal of a predetermined frequency that is different for each on-board module so as to carry out multiplexing with frequency-distributed multiple access (FDMA) in order to distinguish the on-board modules from one another.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that each locating signal contains a unique identifier.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the sudden interruption is carried out when the current is at its highest value.

7. A device for locating at least one mobile element in a predetermined zone, said device comprising:

at least one on-board module in the mobile element, this on-board module comprising an electronic circuit and at least one on-board coil for transmitting a locating signal;

a power supply for this on-board module;

receiver coils distributed on a support in proximity to the predetermined zone;

said receiver coil has the function of detecting said locating signal when the mobile element, is in proximity;

this device further comprising;

a processing unit connected to the receiver coils for determining the location of the mobile element in the predetermined zone by detecting a signal level on said support that is addressed in rows and columns in the form of an array; and

the electronic circuit and the on-board coil constitute an oscillating RLC circuit, the electronic circuit being configured in order to suddenly interrupt the current through the on-board coil so as to generate the locating signal.

8. The device according to claim 7, characterized in that the power supply comprises a magnetic winding arranged in proximity to the predetermined zone so as to supply each on-board module remotely, by magnetic field.

9. The device according to claim 7, characterized in that the power supply consists of the array, so as to supply each on-board module remotely, by magnetic field.

10. The device according to claim 8, characterized in that the on-board module comprises a supply coil having the function of picking up the remote power supply magnetic field.

11. The device according to claim 10, characterized in that the on-board coil and the power supply coil constitute one and the same coil.

12. The device according to claim 7, characterized in that the on-board module comprises at least three on-board coils in a trihedral arrangement.

13. The device according to claim 7, characterized in that each on-board coil comprises a ferrite core.

14. The device according to claim 13, characterized in that the ferrite core comprises hemispherical ends.